Stephen Romano Sounds Off On Remakes (Including Friday The 13th) - UPDATED
My favorite writer in the universe has got to be Stephen Romano, author of the groovin’ faux-Grindhouse bible Shock Festival and screenwriter of the premiere Masters Of Horror telemovie Incident On And Off A Mountain Road. As one of the few to make the concept of “wild deformed killer in the woods” absolutely terrifying (See Incident) he’s one cat I’d love to see take a crack at a future Friday The 13th sequel. Best of all, he’s one of us and runs quite a prolific little blog. Recently I caught this and wanted to share - it touches on Friday The 13th but is also a sounding board for remakes in general. See, Stephen doesn’t just write words - he unleashes them. I’ve read commenters here on F13thFilms from both sides of the fence so obviously a piece like this will enrage some or affirm others. Welcome to opinion country!
It’s OFFICIAL. Everything you love has been destroyed.
This is a distress call from the Planet Earth. The REAL planet Earth. The one that made sense when I was growing up. Not the one we’re living on now. I don’t know how the fuck it happened, but the Earth I used to know has been DESTROYED. Everything I love is gone . . . and all that remains is . . . well, I don’t know what it is, but I hate it and I want it to stop.
Continue Reading @ Stephen Romano’s Blog
Update - message from Stephen in response to commenters -
“Well, guys . . . here it is: I am a writer, and it my job to inconvenience people, to point out what I may believe is the truth, and to get in your face with it. It’s what I do as a professional. That does NOT mean that anyone who happens to read what I write on my blog for my friends over at MySpace should take this stuff as the complete and total truth or absolute gospel. My comments over there were re-posted here without my prior knowledge and were never meant to cause a flame-war on a message board devoted to FRIDAY THE 13th fans. I really was depressed when I saw the new F13, but my comments are, of course, over-the-top and meant to be taken with a certain gain of salt. You’re supposed to laugh a little. It’s intended to be funny. And what is the point of lashing out at me because of the clothes I wear or how I pose in a picture or whatever? It’s completely off-topic and hurtful. There is no reason for such personal ugliness. I offer my sincere apologies to anyone here I may have offended and would like you all to know that I RESPECT any differing opinions that anyone at all may have in regard to anything I write. Read my book. It’s a lot of fun! My best to all of you.”
Retro Slashers Headlines
I’ll do the remake of The Breakfast Club just so this guy will shut up.
although everyone is entitled to their opinion, who says this guy is the end all be all & knows best??????
Hey Stephen, isn’t it also amazing that the “end of the world,” as you call it, is propagated by the internet, which allows pissweasels such as yourself to bitch & moan to the masses about every little thing?
In a world that is facing a crumbling global economy, genocide, drug wars, rampant terrorism, and racism…you’re crying about fictional things?! There is an easy remedy - stop eating up the remakes and reboots. Stick to watching the original versions. Jesus, we live in a world of complainers.
And I agree with “Ghastly,” if a Breakfast Club remake will get you to kill yourself, then I’m going to dial up John Hughes, stat.
He seems like just another spoiled dipshit who lives in a world where he thinks “me first.”
To be perfectly honest, I’m disgusted his “rant” is even given notice. Who the hell is this guy that we should even care about him or his thoughts/feelings? And look at his arrogant douche self portrait…what a homo.
Honstly, throwing a tantrum over pieces of fiction. Unbelievable.
Dipshit. Who is this guy? Another asshole with an opinion. Who cares, and why is this on the site?
Why is this here? I don’t think too many people really care WTF he has to say.
F13 (2009) and Dawn of the Dead were like Citizen Kane and The Godfather compared to “Incident On And Off A Mountain Road” Let’s try to stay away from nobodys likes this.
i have my complaints about remakes, but geeeez, smoke some pot guy. if you don’t like them, don’t see them.
it’s good to complain about these movies because it puts pressure on the filmmakers to do a better job, which is why, in my opinion, they’re getting better and better. BUT if too many people react this way, they won’t make anymore of them at all.
if you have complaints, list them and be clear about how you want the movies to be different. they’ve addressed some of our complaints in MBV3D & F13th2009, so if we want them to address more we need to be specific. saying fuck it all and throwing your hands up in the air accomplishes nothing.
…and if he himself wants to take a crack at making the next F13th, once again, i want to hear specificaly what he thinks is wrong with the new one. alot of people’s complaints don’t match up with mine, so i’m not going to assume that because he didn’t like it that his vision is better.
I think remakes are ok as long as the motive is to re-introduce a franchise. He’s does have a point, there is little originality out there today. There are so many movie and TV remakes and the some of the biggest grossing music tours are nostalgic acts.
I have my complaints about remakes also, however, I do agree in re-imaging them for todays crowd. Jason scared me when I was 10, but my 10 year old laughs at those movies, he didn\’t laugh at this new one.scared the piss out of him..was fun for me too!..this Stephen dude sounds like a whiner to me! Sign me up for the Breakfast Club remake also…hell I\’ll play the part of Allison…just to shut him up!
Way too much hyperbole in that blog post! You know what I’m tired of? It’s not remakes… it’s all the whining about them!
I agree with the premise of Stephen’s article; Yes, every possible story, movie and piece of music from our past has been re-done, re-made and re-released and nothing is ever as good or comes close to the originals that we remember. But the way i see it, the bottom line is i would much rather see a Friday the 13th remake ANY DAY instead of much of the crap they have the balls to show in movie theatres these days and at the very least, the success of the film this past weekend pretty much assures a sequel, and from the fans stance … a chance to see some of the things we didn’t like about the film corrected in the sequel.
Those who can, do - those who can’t criticize. If the remake had come out in 1980 it would be hailed as a classic today. The original F13 was bashed when it came out as well. But, loyal fans have have always embraced the films. The remake is an excellent addition to the series and, once again, embraced by loyal fans!
There were two versions of Mary Shelley’s FRANKENSTEIN made during the silent era. There were several Golem films (most of which are lost, sadly). NOSFERATU was actually the third screen version of DRACULA. Remakes, retellings, and sequels are as old as film itself. If you don’t know that, you are entirely unqualified to present an “informed opinion” about the film industry. Frankly, it’s ridiculous to hear a screenwriter, who should understand the industry and the concept of recycling in narrative tradition (especially since his one credit is a slasher film!) piss and moan about remakes. Is this dude honestly saying that had Platinum Dunes offered him the FRIDAY THE 13TH remake, he would have turned it down? Because if he is, he’s even more full of b.s. than he sounds. To say nothing of the fact that he isn’t a particularly compelling or gifted writer…
In fact, if you truly hate remakes and reboots, your DVD collection better not include Universal’s FRANKENSTEIN or DRACULA, MOBY DICK, THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, MYSTERIOUS ISLAND, Hammer’s CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN or HORROR OF DRACULA or THE MUMMY, SCARFACE, THE THING, any movie based on a TV show (THE UNTOUCHABLES, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, STAR TREK, THE FUGITIVE, etc.), Peter Jackson’s KING KONG, any version of TEN LITTLE INDIANS, THE MALTESE FALCON, A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS, Hitchcock’s second THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH, etc., etc., et. al.
All of this ignorant remake hating has grown far, far more tiresome than the remakes themselves. At least a fair amount of work goes into churning out a watered down, mediocre PROM NIGHT or WHEN A STRANGER CALLS update. It takes no effort whatsoever to sit in your underwear and throw a poorly crafted temper tantrum because you and your tragically hip friends think you could have made a better FRIDAY THE 13TH than the one which is currently setting box office records for the genre. If Stephen Romano is a card-carrying screenwriter and is so much smarter than the rest of us, why doesn’t he call his agent and get himself a meeting with the producers of the next big horror reboot?
Pardon my french but F**K Stephen Romano. He is just living in the past. He probably still wears the damn indiana jones and the temple of doom Underwear. He probably has a breakfast club lunch box. Man get the F**k over it. Quit living in the 80’s this is the 2024’s man anything can happen. Just be glad that movies we love are still hitting the big screen and being successful during these economic times. Man, People are getting laid off, forclosures, prices going up, but movies are still successful. So before you say it’s the end of the F**king world take a look at things that are happening that is more important instead of throwing a little bitch fit about remakes! I still watch classic movies but I am the type of person who rather watch an up to date movie than a classic any day. Don’t get me wrong the classics will always be the originals but I enjoy up to date versions of movies as well like the new rambo, the new indiana jones, and especially the new Jason movie. So F**k him!
Lets make Jason a mutant from hills have eyes. He is no longer human looking & always pops up behind people. Might as well take the shitty musical score from the TCM remakes & throw it in this Friday movie. Lets lie about why we made the movie to the fans faces.
This is a origins remake of parts 1-4 correct?
While this is a step in the right direction compared to Jason X, and I love seeing Jason off people, why combine all these remakes to make the same bad taste in your mouth? Can’t wait for Nightmare on Elm St with Hills have eyes musical score & a fat Freddy Krueger & oversized head. I’ll bet Paris Hilton gets in this new Nightmare movie as the lead.
Last House on the Left? why the fuck put 25 year old terrible actors in as the escaped murderers & rapists. The original actors looked like they could actually rape & kill a girl. The entire fucking movie was in the trailer as well.
I agree with pretty much everything you said Steve, & I’m tired of people protecting something that is shitting all over the classics.
What happened?
Well than if you guys enjoy the classics so much than you should keep watching the classics. When the new nightmare on elm st comes out than don’t see it. When the house of the left comes out than don’t see it because you classic freaks are going to see it than bitch about it. So my suggestion is to don’t see the remakes because you are all going to shut it down because it’s not the original.
Who the fuck is stephen romano? Did he flunk out of film school or something?
Fans of horror will always watch horror movies. That\\\’s what we do. We are either going to watch them and say how great they are or we will watch them and say how bad they suck. I do not think they should have made the F13 remake. I thought it was a bad idea, but that didn\’t stop me from watching it. The movie did well at the box office and the sequel will come in a year or so and it will be awful and I will sit through it more pissed off and more depressed about the current state of horror films.
People just don’t get that every Friday the 13th sequel is just an update of the one before it (with a twist!). For me, the series was going downhill for the last 20 years and just ruining Jason and the everything that I loved about the first films. Now, it’s so much closer to where I want it. The original Friday the 13th was just a copy of Halloween set in the woods.
To TheGhostofSlaughterHigh: I agree with you completely. Overall the movie sucked but that didn’t stop me from going to see it and I enjoyed it because I went into the theater with a positive attitude and low expectations. People did walk out of the theater after the barn scene and I expected it not to be a great ending. The movie wasn’t too great but I loved the fact they tried to bring jason back and the Jason character was pretty good in my opinion and I thought the kills were pretty good too. The sequel will probably even be a lot worse than the second one but I am hoping to see that one too. I just looked at the movie as a horror movie not a friday the 13th movie.
It’s hard to be impressed by someone’s opinion when they’re just throwing their toys out of the pram.
And it is quite true (a point well made) that remakes are not new. In fact, when you think about theatre, people have been doing new productions of exactly the same plays (in the case of, say, Greek tragedy) for centuries!
Does this guy realize he has the option to not watch these re-makes? I mean if he started noticing the “shitty re-make” trend years ago why does he still pay his hard earned money to see these movies? If you thought that a re-make sucked why would you go see the sequel to the re make! It makes no sense. Unless… Of couse, YOU’RE A ROBOT TOO!!!
Yea even though they complain about remakes and bash them more than likely the same people are going to keep going to the sequels and keep complaining and bashing them.
How much do clothes cost in the matrix?
I have to say I totally disagree with Stephen’s ‘Peter Pan’ position on things - I’ll qualify the Peter Pan reference in a minute. Reimaginings/reinventions/remakes are not done to clean up the original versions, they are done to adapt a classic to modern sensibilities. Those of us who grew up with the originals were seeing films made for OUR sensibilities, and our society - we aren’t supposed to necessarily ‘get’ where these filmmakers are coming from. This is like a cry out against the march of years or something. Friday the 13th was plenty exploitative enough for my tastes. I even though the parallels between Clay and Jason elevated it, slightly. (both sons who stood idly by while their mothers died horribly, embarking on a subsequent mission of redemption.)
If anybody wants to hear very smart words. go to http://www.youtube.com/jawooosh. This guy knows what he is taking about when it comes to remakes and horror movies in general.
The first time I saw the new Friday I hated it. I kept waiting to hear the original score…and waiting, and waiting. That was the biggest problem I had with it.
I bought the His Name Was Jason DVD and got the free pass, I was laid off from work, so I figured I’d give it another chance! Much more enjoyable the second time around…although I still miss the original score a lot. I don’t have a problem with the tunnels or the hostage etc…I just wish the film had more suspense. Its really not scary at all…more like an action movie. Its still the best one since part 7 but it will never touch the originals.
Maybe I’ve just been spoiled by all the GREAT horror movies from overseas…I just saw Cold Prey and it a a fantastic suspenseful slasher film. The Trent character still bothers me a lot…I know he’s supposed to play a dick but he really bogs down the movie. It would have been much better if you had a group of friends who all got along and were happy on vacation or whatever. That would have made the killings all the more dramatic. Trent should have been the first to get killed!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH LMAO! WOW you guys rock. All most of your are doing is talking shit on this guy for having an opinion. And the best part is the logic. “ohhh this guy is pissing and moaning on the internet about movies when the economy is dieing” So what will i do. Get on the internet and piss and moan about him pissing and moaning. HAHAHAHA This right here is why i love america!
sKoda
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA LMAO! WOW
& what are u doing responding to everyones bitching by somehow thinking u are the more civilized individual!
THAT! is why I love America
cheek out my website for screenplays
dumbassspamer.com
1) Don’t plug a website
2) If you are going to plug your site, try adding something
3) Your “untitled project” sucks and you are no Master of Horror
Get a life and bump out of Mine
Man the guy is right but is getting destroyed on this website. You 14-years-old F13 fans sure are protective of your series arent’ you? You should all get laid instead, its more fun than watching crappy movies like this reboot.
The guy’s a putz
“It’s OFFICIAL. Everything you love has been destroyed.”
GTFO! I don’t respect anyone who brings their opinion on like it’s a fact or official. The guy’s 27 and truly speaks like he remember’s a great era in the world. Where you been Stephen this generation has only seen deterioration of all that was. You oughta be glad this film opened your eyes in that case.
Who wants to start production on a little remake and do this guy a favor?
This guy is a useless windbag. He pretty much hates everything. Why do I even care what he is saying and why should anyone else.
This jason movie was not that good…I saw it and when i was growing up and going to the movies watching fth13th people were on the edge of their seats…People this time were quiet.. The makers of this movie should be ashamed of themselves…I don’t mind remakes if the remake makes sence and its done right but so often they are not
a disappointed fan of fth13th
ro77; sorry, but your experience is not universal; the crowd I saw the movie with loved it, and their enthusiasm added to the experience. People screaming and jumping and laughing at the cheap jokes. There was a round of applause for the ‘prologue’ and a hearty cheer when Laurence managed to land a punch on Jason.
Normally I wouldn’t be seen dead in a busy cinema showing, as people don’t behave well generally in cinemas (kicking the back of the seats, talking through the film about nothing and generally blocking the view) and the rest of the audience often spoil a screening. But I am really glad I saw this one with a receptive audience; it made it even more fun to enjoy everyone else’s enjoyment as well as the movie.
But I guess lovers and haters alike will never change their opinion. XD Opinions and experiences; what it’s all about.
Yeah the audience I was with seemed to like it. I did. I thought the filmakers were pretty faithful to the original movies. I still do not understand the haters of the new Friday. On the other hand, I could see how Rob Zombie’s version of Halloween polorized the fans.